Bernadette Nolan
Encyclopedia
Bernadette Therese "Bernie" Nolan (born 17 October 1960) is an Irish
actress, singer and television personality, formerly lead vocalist
of The Nolans
. Her siblings are Anne, Brian, Denise, Maureen, Tommy, Linda and Coleen Nolan
. She is the second youngest. She was raised in Blackpool
, Lancashire
, England
.
aged 73 in 1998, and Maureen Nolan, who died aged 81 of Alzheimer's disease
in Blackpool on 30 December 2007.
Before The Nolan sisters became household names her and her sisters, parents and brothers would perform in clubs and pubs in Blackpool. She originally found fame in a pop group which included her five sisters and they had hits such as "I'm in the Mood for Dancing
" (their biggest hit), "Don't Make Waves", "Attention to Me" and "Gotta Pull Myself Together". The Nolans sold millions of records worldwide, particularly in Japan
where they sold over 9 million albums. Nolan also turned her hand to songwriting during this time when she wrote two tracks for their 1982 album Portrait
.
. Critics were pleasantly surprised at her gift for comedy and sending herself up. The Nolan sisters and their music were a running gag on the show, and she was joined by her sisters for a musical performance during at least one episode.
She left the group in 1994 to concentrate on her own acting career, which had begun with her 1993 performance in the stage play The Devil Rides Out.
In 2000 she joined the cast of Channel 4
's soap opera Brookside
as Diane Murray after being noticed by Paul Marquess whilst starring in the play Blood Brothers. She left in 2002 to play Sheelagh Murphy in ITV
's police drama series The Bill
. Her character Sheelagh had an affair with Des Taviner; their baby daughter then died and Des, who had killed six fellow officers, was beaten to death in custody. Other traumas included finding out that her son was gay
and behind several 'homophobic' attacks. Although Nolan left The Bill in 2005 the door was left open for a return, due to her character's enduring popularity.
In 2006 she took part in Channel 4
's series The Games, arriving last in the females category. However, rumours abound that she may have actually come fourth and was only ranked last due to a scoring error. Her stint on the game was to raise money for charity, including Alzheimer's and children's charities. Her latest theatre role will be in the 2009 Manchester Opera House
pantomime Cinderella
, in which she will play the Fairy Godmother.
In 2007, Nolan starred in the play Mum's the Word, and was lined up to star in the Iceland
adverts for the summer with her younger sister Coleen. During summer season she appeared at the Blackpool North Pier Theatre
in her own production, Soap Queens (And Kings!).
Nolan is currently starring in Flashdance The Musical
opening in Plymouth's Theatre Royal this July, as Hannah Owens alongside Victoria Hamilton-Barritt
, Noel Sullivan
and Bruno Langley
.
In January and February 2010, Nolan participated in the British ITV1
celebrity reality television programme Popstar to Operastar
. She lost against Darius Danesh
in the final show, having been the favourite to win.
All By Myself. The album was then re-released
towards the end of 2006. The album consists mainly of power ballads, including the song Better Place, written by Nolan's husband in memory of their daughter, Kate, who was stillborn
in 1997.
Steve Doneathy since 1993, whom she married in 1996 in Lancashire. They have a daughter (born 1999) and live in Surrey
. She released the single "Macushla
" in 2004 with the proceeds going to charity. It peaked at #38 in the UK Singles Chart
in March 2004. Regarding this release, Lorraine Kelly
wrote: "I wouldn't have expected anything else from one of the hardest working women in showbiz". It was revealed on 23 April 2010, that Nolan is suffering from breast cancer
, which has spread to her lymph node
s. In October 2010, she stated that she is now cancer-free after having undergone chemotherapy
and a mastectomy
, and is taking Herceptin. Anne and Linda Nolan suffered from the disease in 2000 and 2006 respectively; both have recovered.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
actress, singer and television personality, formerly lead vocalist
Lead vocalist
The lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
of The Nolans
The Nolans
The Nolans are an Anglo-Irish all-female band consisting of a group of sisters. The group, best known for their song "I'm In the Mood for Dancing", gained prominence as guest performers on numerous television shows in the United Kingdom...
. Her siblings are Anne, Brian, Denise, Maureen, Tommy, Linda and Coleen Nolan
Coleen Nolan
Coleen Patricia Nolan is an English born television presenter, author and singer of Irish descent. She was the youngest member of the girl group, The Nolans, in which she sang alongside her sisters...
. She is the second youngest. She was raised in Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Early life and career
Nolan's parents were Tommy, a violent heavy drinker who died of liver cancerLiver cancer
Liver tumors or hepatic tumors are tumors or growths on or in the liver . Several distinct types of tumors can develop in the liver because the liver is made up of various cell types. These growths can be benign or malignant...
aged 73 in 1998, and Maureen Nolan, who died aged 81 of Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
in Blackpool on 30 December 2007.
Before The Nolan sisters became household names her and her sisters, parents and brothers would perform in clubs and pubs in Blackpool. She originally found fame in a pop group which included her five sisters and they had hits such as "I'm in the Mood for Dancing
I'm In the Mood for Dancing
"I'm In the Mood for Dancing" is a single by pop group, The Nolan Sisters. Originally released in November 1979, the song became a top three hit in the UK in February 1980. The song, a cross between pure pop and disco, has since become synonymous with the group and remains their biggest hit...
" (their biggest hit), "Don't Make Waves", "Attention to Me" and "Gotta Pull Myself Together". The Nolans sold millions of records worldwide, particularly in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
where they sold over 9 million albums. Nolan also turned her hand to songwriting during this time when she wrote two tracks for their 1982 album Portrait
Portrait (The Nolans album)
Portrait is a 1982 album by pop group, The Nolans. It featured the UK top 20 singles "Chemistry" and "Don't Love Me Too Hard" and reached No.7 in the album charts...
.
Acting
She first acted as a cast member on the BBC Saturday morning children's show On the WaterfrontOn The Waterfront (TV Series)
On the Waterfront was a BBC Saturday morning children's programme, filmed at Brunswick Dock, Liverpool. It was hosted by Andrew O'Connor, Kate Copstick, Bernadette Nolan and Terry Randall...
. Critics were pleasantly surprised at her gift for comedy and sending herself up. The Nolan sisters and their music were a running gag on the show, and she was joined by her sisters for a musical performance during at least one episode.
She left the group in 1994 to concentrate on her own acting career, which had begun with her 1993 performance in the stage play The Devil Rides Out.
In 2000 she joined the cast of Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's soap opera Brookside
Brookside
Brookside is a defunct British soap opera set in Liverpool, England. The series began on the launch night of Channel 4 on 2 November 1982, and ran for 21 years until 4 November 2003...
as Diane Murray after being noticed by Paul Marquess whilst starring in the play Blood Brothers. She left in 2002 to play Sheelagh Murphy in ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's police drama series The Bill
The Bill
The Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
. Her character Sheelagh had an affair with Des Taviner; their baby daughter then died and Des, who had killed six fellow officers, was beaten to death in custody. Other traumas included finding out that her son was gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
and behind several 'homophobic' attacks. Although Nolan left The Bill in 2005 the door was left open for a return, due to her character's enduring popularity.
In 2006 she took part in Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's series The Games, arriving last in the females category. However, rumours abound that she may have actually come fourth and was only ranked last due to a scoring error. Her stint on the game was to raise money for charity, including Alzheimer's and children's charities. Her latest theatre role will be in the 2009 Manchester Opera House
Manchester Opera House
The Opera House in Quay Street, Manchester, England is a 1,920 seater commercial touring theatre which plays host to touring musicals, ballet, concerts and a Christmas pantomime. It is the sister to the Palace Theatre which is a similar venue in nearby Oxford Street at its junction with Whitworth...
pantomime Cinderella
Cinderella
"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
, in which she will play the Fairy Godmother.
In 2007, Nolan starred in the play Mum's the Word, and was lined up to star in the Iceland
Iceland (supermarket)
Iceland is a supermarket chain in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Iceland's primary product lines include frozen foods, such as frozen prepared meals and frozen vegetables - hence the name of the company...
adverts for the summer with her younger sister Coleen. During summer season she appeared at the Blackpool North Pier Theatre
North Pier, Blackpool
North Pier is the oldest and largest of the three coastal piers in Blackpool, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II listed building.-Location:...
in her own production, Soap Queens (And Kings!).
Nolan is currently starring in Flashdance The Musical
Flashdance The Musical
Flashdance The Musical is a stage adaptation of the 1983 musical film Flashdance. The show had its world premiere in July 2008 at the Theatre Royal Plymouth, followed by a tour of the United Kingdom. The show finished its UK Tour in May 2009 and will opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre, in London's...
opening in Plymouth's Theatre Royal this July, as Hannah Owens alongside Victoria Hamilton-Barritt
Victoria Hamilton-Barritt
Victoria Hamilton-Barritt is a British actress and singer known primarily for her roles in leading musical theatre productions. Most recently she played the role of 'Alex Owens' in the West End production of Flashdance alongside Matt Willis at the Shaftesbury Theatre- Background :Victoria...
, Noel Sullivan
Noel Sullivan
Noel Sullivan , is a Welsh singer and actor. He was a member of the British pop group Hear'Say. Like the other members of the group, he won his part through the talent show Popstars.-Early life and career:...
and Bruno Langley
Bruno Langley
Bruno Langley is an English actor. He is best known for playing Todd Grimshaw in Coronation Street and Adam Mitchell in Doctor Who.- Early life :...
.
In January and February 2010, Nolan participated in the British ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
celebrity reality television programme Popstar to Operastar
Popstar to Operastar
Popstar to Operastar is a British television programme singing competition based around the training of pop stars of current to be able to sing opera. The show began airing on ITV on 15 January 2010 at 9pm. The show is repeated on TV3 Ireland on Saturday evening. The programme is produced by...
. She lost against Darius Danesh
Darius Danesh
Darius Campbell , also known as Darius Danesh or simply Darius, is a British Iranian platinum-selling singer-songwriter, a West End stage actor, operatic baritone, Sunday Times best-selling author, and an Ambassador for The Prince's Trust.He established himself as a popular West End leading...
in the final show, having been the favourite to win.
Return to singing
In 2005, Nolan released her debut solo albumAlbum
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
All By Myself. The album was then re-released
Reissue
A reissue is the repeated issue of a published work. In common usage, it refers to an album which has been released at least once before and is released again, sometimes with alterations or additions....
towards the end of 2006. The album consists mainly of power ballads, including the song Better Place, written by Nolan's husband in memory of their daughter, Kate, who was stillborn
Stillbirth
A stillbirth occurs when a fetus has died in the uterus. The Australian definition specifies that fetal death is termed a stillbirth after 20 weeks gestation or the fetus weighs more than . Once the fetus has died the mother still has contractions and remains undelivered. The term is often used in...
in 1997.
Personal life
Nolan had a stillborn daughter in 1997. She has been with drummerDrummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Steve Doneathy since 1993, whom she married in 1996 in Lancashire. They have a daughter (born 1999) and live in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. She released the single "Macushla
Macushla
Macushla is an Irish song copyrighted circa 1910 with music by Dermot MacMurrough and lyrics by Josephine V. Rowe. The title is a transliteration of the Irish mo chuisle meaning "my pulse" as used in the phrase a chuisle mo chroí meaning "darling" or "sweetheart".It was used in the end credits of...
" in 2004 with the proceeds going to charity. It peaked at #38 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in March 2004. Regarding this release, Lorraine Kelly
Lorraine Kelly
Lorraine Kelly is a Scottish television presenter, journalist and actress, best known as a presenter for TV-am, and later GMTV and ITV Breakfast, on Lorraine.-Early life:...
wrote: "I wouldn't have expected anything else from one of the hardest working women in showbiz". It was revealed on 23 April 2010, that Nolan is suffering from breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
, which has spread to her lymph node
Lymph node
A lymph node is a small ball or an oval-shaped organ of the immune system, distributed widely throughout the body including the armpit and stomach/gut and linked by lymphatic vessels. Lymph nodes are garrisons of B, T, and other immune cells. Lymph nodes are found all through the body, and act as...
s. In October 2010, she stated that she is now cancer-free after having undergone chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
and a mastectomy
Mastectomy
Mastectomy is the medical term for the surgical removal of one or both breasts, partially or completely. Mastectomy is usually done to treat breast cancer; in some cases, women and some men believed to be at high risk of breast cancer have the operation prophylactically, that is, to prevent cancer...
, and is taking Herceptin. Anne and Linda Nolan suffered from the disease in 2000 and 2006 respectively; both have recovered.